Nepal 2017

Tuesday21November

Before embarking on the discovery of Swayambunath, we enjoy the small restaurants located right next door. The momos steamed by the hostess will surely be a delight!

Yum yum!  

Here we go for the ascent to Swayambunath, also called the Monkey Temple!

This Buddhist site is one of the most sacred in the world, notably because it has spanned 15 centuries of our history since its foundation!

Here, Buddha takes center stage. But some don't intend to let him steal the show and be mere extras... The rhesus macaque mafia (Macaca mulatta) has taken possession of the premises and intends to enforce its law... And in its law, fortunately, there is the following paragraph: You shall leave the passerby in peace, if the passerby leaves you in peace.  

But the site's main attraction is at the end of these steps. At the top of this hill, 100 meters higher, the Swayambhunath stupa awaits you, with the added bonus of a superb view of Kathmandu. And if the absurd idea came to you to climb just one step a day, you would reach the summit the following year on the same day, because you will have to pass through 365 steps here...  

And don't forget! The ascent time is completely uncertain! Related to the random requests for photo breaks with the nice Westerners!    

Halfway up, the immense panoramic view of the Kathmandu agglomeration can be glimpsed behind the trees.

Come on, courage! We are only at 1320 meters of altitude. After our 5416 meters at Thorong La in the Annapurnas, these few steps are certainly not going to stop us!  

After a quiet fifteen-minute ascent, here we are in front of the monument, a stupa in its state, housing relics of the Buddha and other sacred texts. Its gaze is directed towards the four cardinal points, giving it no less than eight eyes and as many eyebrows.  

Just like him, our eyes turn towards the horizon, where a sea of buildings emerges under its haze of pollution...

The thirteen rings (chatraveli) finishing the stupa's spire symbolize all the necessary steps to reach Enlightenment.

At the foot of the stupa, small sacred cells guarded by padlocked iron curtains.

The prayer wheels never stop turning, amplifying and sending the faithful's requests towards the sky. The Buddhist's Wi-Fi hotspot, in other words.    

The anda, the whitewashed dome.

Between the eyebrows, the third eye (the Urna), to see where one does not see, within oneself and beyond  . The pictogram as a nose would be the Sanskrit numeral 1, symbolizing the uniqueness of the Buddha.

Some cells stand out, this golden one with its small Garuda, the bird-man.

Here there is not only the stupa. Other small structures are scattered all around. It's even a whole small hamlet that still lives here. Temples, monasteries, cafes, shops and even dwellings have found their place here.

A Buddha in his not-golden cage receives culinary and monetary offerings from passing devotees.  

Obviously, all the wanderings taking place on this hill are observed and analyzed by the hairy locals of the place.

Leaving some, stunned, jaded, or downright shocked...  

Unless it's the behavior of their own congeners that leaves them completely dismayed.

Fortunately, the Buddhist monks in their red kesa will know how to restore the place to its original spiritual depth.

Sometimes, cells lift their iron curtains to allow authorized persons to enter, perhaps to add an offering.  

All this under the strict control of the oldest but also the youngest...

Concentration is key.

Although here, daydreaming is perfectly allowed.  

One last look at the panorama, and in no time, we'll already be at the bottom.

At the foot of the stairs, small temples await the faithful. Some will turn the giant prayer wheel. Others will be content with the smaller ones arranged all around the hill.

Oh, but they're everywhere! Impossible to make a move without being watched!  

Behind the prayer wheels, Buddha paintings are hidden.

One last look at Gautama Siddhartha, already Buddha, before heading back to our hotel in the Thamel district.

Tomorrow, we'll take a car to reach Bhaktapur!